London folkie Laura Marling’s voice is a magical contradiction — tender but strong, earthy but maybe not of this earth. On her seventh album, she defends the stake claimed by previous releases Semper Femina and Once I Was an Eagle: Marling belongs in the company of Joni Mitchell, Carole King and James Taylor. Her voice — both the sound and words — is pure power on the irresistible “Strange Girl”: “Woke up in a country who refused to hold your hand/ Kept falling for narcissists who insist you call them man” she croons to a melody that winks at “Walk on the Wild Side.” Inspired by a “running away” fund her mother kept, “Fortune” finds freedom aloft strings so heartbreakingly sweet they’re fit for a Broadway ballad. The warm charms of “For You” — a home demo enriched by simple humming — could be from the 1930s or 2020. Woozy opener “Alexandra” is terrific, as are the spare and lovely “Only the Strong” and sleepy-eyed yet sweeping title track. – Shelly Ridenour